Mission Gratsu
by Silver Hyacinth
Summary: Lucy realizes one day that Natsu and Gray would make a great couple, and proceeds to get the whole guild on board for "Mission Gratsu", Fairy Tail's most hectic mission yet.
1. Mission Gratsu is a Go!

**~ 1 ~**

 **Mission Gratsu is a Go**

* * *

"Oi, ice block, fight me!"

Lucy, Erza, Levy, Mira, and Lisanna were sitting at a table. Levy was reading, Erza was eating cake, and Lisanna was braiding Mira's hair. Lucy, however, was watching Gray and Natsu intently. "Nē, min'na," she said after a while, "don't you think Gray and Natsu would make a cute couple?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch Gray and Natsu, who were brawling, as usual. Gray had lost most of his clothes and was wrestling around with Natsu on the floor, throwing punches and insults. "Huh," Lisanna said, brows furrowed, "I never really thought about it, but yeah..."

Erza nodded. "They do have strong chemistry." Stars appeared in Levy and Mira's eyes. "This is perfect," Levy said, grinning. "We _have_ to get them together!"

Mira and Lisanna nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

Erza and Lucy frowned. "I don't know about this," Lucy said. "I feel like it's rude to intervene in someone's relationship." Erza nodded in agreement.

"But _guys_ ," Lisanna said, throwing up her hands. "Think of their _ship name_! _Gratsu_! It's _so_ adorable!"

Lucy's face turned red. "Crap, it is. Okay, fine. I give. What do we do first?"

The girls huddled together, shooting glances around to make sure no one was listening. "Okay, what if one of us invites them on a job, but then inexplicably get sick the day of, and they have to go alone? How's that?"

"Perfect!" Levy squealed. "Lucy, can you handle this?"

Lucy nodded. "And then we can follow them and see what happens!"

"Yes! It's a plan!"

* * *

 **Later That Day...**

* * *

"Nē, Natsu, Gray?" Lucy asked innocently. "Would you guys come on a mission with me tomorrow? Erza, Levy, and Lisanna are all busy."

Gray and Natsu shared a look. Gray shrugged. "I guess." Natsu jumped up with a grin. "Of course, Luce! Have you picked out a job yet?"

"Yep," Lucy said, hiding her devilish smile behind her hand as she handed them the job request paper. Natsu read it over, his brows furrowed. "Can you even read, flame brain?" Gray asked with a snicker. Natsu immediately tossed the paper back to Lucy and whirled on Gray. "What was that, ice princess? Let's go!"

Lucy smirked as she walked away. "See you guys tomorrow!" she called over her shoulder, snickering as she sat back down at the girl's table and they started talking, giggling every now and then. Laxus narrowed his eyes at them from across the room, and so did Gajeel and Cana.

The three crept over to their table and soon discovered what was going on. "I want in on this!" Cana said with a giggle and a hiccup. "It'll be super fun!"

Gajeel grunted in agreement. "I think Salamander would be less annoying if he was dating someone."

Laxus nodded. "Maybe he'll finally stop challenging me to a fight every other second."

So Team Gratsu had three new members, and the girls filled them in on the plan.

* * *

 **The Next Day...**

* * *

"Hey, guys," Levy said, walking up to Gray and Natsu, who were waiting at the train station with their arms crossed. "Lu-chan told me to tell you that she couldn't go on the mission because she caught a really bad cold. But she doesn't want to let the man down, so she still wants you two to go."

Gray rolled his eyes as Natsu nodded. "Fine by me. Let's go, ice princess."

Levy quickly ducked behind a pillar as the boys boarded the train, and as soon as they were out of sight, Lucy, Lisanna, Mira, and Erza appeared out of the shadows, and the girls crept onto the very last car of the train, making sure they were nowhere near the boys.

* * *

"You know they're up to something, right?" Gray asked, his arms crossed as he looked out the window.

"What?" Natsu asked, covering his mouth with one hand as he was currently bent over trying not to barf.

Gray sighed. "Never mind."

* * *

As soon as the train arrived at the station, the girls followed the boys to the theater where they would be preforming. The previous day, Lucy had hand-picked an acting job that wanted a prince and a princess, knowing that, if she cancelled, the two boys would have to play the roles.

When the boys went back stage, the girls snuck into the audience, and stiffled giggles as the seats slowly filled up. Gajeel, Cana, and Laxus had arrived, Laxus dragging along the rest of the Thunder Legion. They all sat towards the back and watched as the curtain went up, revealing Natsu wearing a dress and a wig, looking pissed, and standing at the top of a tower.

Lucy snickered as dramatic music started to play, and Gray appeared dressed in a fine outfit, wielding a sword. "My fair princess," he said, sounding extremely uncomfortable, "I have come to rescue you from this tower!"

The play was an interesting one, which consisted of the prince rescuing the princess and attempting to take her back home, all the while battling against rogue bandits, dragons, and other obstacles. Finally, the end of the play was nearing, and Erza, Levy, and Lucy were in tears as Gray gripped Natsu by the shoulders. "My princess," he said, once again sounding like he wanted to die of embarrassment, "you are finally home, but I must ask of you one last thing before I take my leave."

"Here it comes!" Lucy and Levy squealed, clutching each other tightly.

Natsu nodded, gulping. "Yes, my knight."

Gray took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut, reaching forward to give Natsu a kiss. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, the girls silently saying "Yes." over and over again. But then a stage-light fell, and the boys leaped apart. Taking the opportunity, they took a deep bow, and everyone clapped.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the girls screamed, quickly ducking down as Gray and Natsu looked their way. Lucy silently swore, and shared a crestfallen look with Levy.

"We need a Plan B."

Erza nodded. "We can't give up now. Mission Gratsu is a go!"


	2. Potions and Pairings

**~ 2 ~**

 **Potions and Pairings**

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Lucy asked Mira skeptically, raising an eyebrow at the pale magenta liquid in the glass vial she held. Mira nodded her reassurance. "Of course. You worry too much, Lucy. All we have to do is get a drop of this to each of them, lock them in a confined space together, and let the potion work its magic."

Lucy shrugged. "Okay. I think they're having breakfast, so I can probably slip some in their food while they're not looking. You think you could start a brawl for me, Mira?"

The Take-Over Mage nodded with a devilish smile on her face. "It would be my pleasure."

She walked over to Gray and Natsu, who were sitting at the bar eating breakfast, and punched Natsu on the shoulder when he and Gray weren't looking. Natsu immediately whirled around on Gray. "Oi, what was that for, ice princess?!"

"What're you talkin' about, flame brain?" Gray said, irritated. "Clearly you're goin' insane!"

Now was her chance! Lucy quickly and quietly slipped a drop of magenta liquid into each plate of food, and slipped away, all white Gray and Natsu were bickering away like an old married couple.

* * *

 **Later...**

* * *

"How will we get them in a tight space together?" Lucy asked, frowning.

"I'll just tell Natsu I need help lifting something in the closet, and then lock him in. And then Lisanna can do the same with Gray," Mira said.

"Good plan," Levy agreed. "We'll make sure Natsu doesn't escape the closet."

* * *

Natsu was starting to feel funny. He shook it off when Mira called, "Nē, Natsu, could you help me with this? It's very heavy."

"Sure." He got up from the bar and followed Mira to the closet. He went in in front of her and glanced around through the darkness. "I don't see—" the door was slammed and locked before Natsu could finish his sentence. "Mira! Hey, what's going on?! Let me out of here!"

Mira snickered as she crept back to the bar to continue serving drinks.

* * *

There was a weird feeling in Gray's chest, but he ignored it as Lisanna walked up to him. "Iu, Gray, Mira and I need your help moving something."

Gray grunted and nodded, standing and following her to the closet. Lisanna seemed nervous, and she pulled the door open. Gray was peering inside when someone planted a foot on his back and kicked him inside. He crashed face-first onto something soft and warm and fell.

"Oi, get off, ice princess! You're freakin' heavy!"

"Natsu? What are you doing in here?!" Gray asked in exasperation, pushing himself up to look down at the Dragon Slayer.

"Mira told me she needed help with something, then she locked me in here!" Natsu said, frowning up at Gray. "You gonna get off me or what, snow cone?"

Gray didn;t answer as he suddenly noticed how beautiful Natsu's eyes were. They were deep pools of black, seeming to shift from yellow to green and back again. He could barely see Natsu in the dark, but he could make out the gentle sweeps of his pink hair, and he smelled not unpleasantly of wood smoke.

"Hey, get off!" With a great shove Gray was on the floor. He shook his head, feeling that strange feeling again. What was wrong with him?

Natsu hauled himself to his feet. He looked at Gray strangely, shaking his head. "Ugh... I feel... funny."

Gray nodded and stood up, holding a hand to his head, which had started to hurt. "Ugh..."

They looked at each other, and Natsu's heart skipped a beat. Why was he feeling this way? He shook it off, lighting up his fist to offer some light in the dark closet. Immediately, he felt better, but Gray's eyes remained hooded, and Natsu noticed that he was breathing heavily. "Uh, Gray? Are you—"

Gray suddenly stumbled and fell against Natsu. "Oi, get off, ice block!"

He suddenly felt something cool against his neck, and shivers raced up his spine. He gave a sharp gasp as he realized what was happening. Gray was kissing his neck. "H-hey! Get off!" Natsu shoved Gray off him, ignoring the fluttering of his heart, and punched the Ice Mage hard in the jaw. His eyes seemed to clear, and he blinked at Natsu. Natsu could swear he saw Gray blush, but it could've just been the dim light.

"Are you... okay?" Natsu asked, trying to keep his eyes away from Gray's lips. The Ice Mage nodded. "Uh, um, I think so. We should really, um, get out of here."

"Uh, yeah..."

* * *

"Kuso!" Mira cursed. "Natsu's body heat probably burned off the potion's effects! We'll have to try something else."

"I think I have an idea," Levy said with an uncharacteristically devilish smirk. "Gather around, girls."

* * *

 **A/N:** A big thanks to Nyan Cat for the potions suggestion :D Also, guys, feel free to leave suggestions for future chapters!


	3. Drunkenness Doesn't Work, Apparently

**~ 3 ~**

 **Drunkenness Doesn't Work, Apparently**

* * *

"Are you sure this will work, Levy-chan?" Lucy asked, looking incredulously at the tall, clear bottle Levy held in her hands. Levy gave her friend a reassuring smile and waved a hand dismissively. "Of course, Lu-chan! Mira-san is going to swap out their drinks. Don't worry so much!"

"But are you _sure_ they won't be able to tell it's Sake?" the blonde pressed, her brows furrowed.

Levy nodded with a bright grin. "Positive! Mira-san said that she had Freed put a spell on it to make it taste like water!"

Lucy sighed and smiled. "Okay. Should we give her the bottle?"

"Yes!"

* * *

Gray sat down at the bar and ordered water and breakfast from Mira, feeling a strange sense of foreboding. He glanced around, noticing that the guild was a lot quieter than usual. At a table in the far corner, Levy, Lucy, Lisanna, Erza, Gajeel, Laxus, Freed, Evergreen, Bixlow, and Cana all quickly glanced away when Gray looked over at them, starting up conversations in high-pitched voices.

Turning back around warily, Gray accepted the drink Mira gave him and took a large swig. Just then, Natsu rocketed onto the stool beside him, nearly making him choke on his drink. He swallowed it quickly and turned to glare at the Dragon Slayer, shaking a fist at him. "Oi, don't do that, Natsu! I almost choked to death!"

Natsu was too busy ordering breakfast from Mira to pay attention to him, and Gray turned to his own food with an exasperated sigh, a vein popping in his forehead. _Something fishy is going on here..._ he thought, taking another sip of his drink. _But what?_

* * *

From their table in the corner, the members of Team Gratsu were watching intently as both Gray and Natsu sipped their drinks, not seeming to notice the change from harmless beverage to alcohol. Stars were in Levy's eyes as she clasped her hands together happily. "Yes! The enchantment worked!"

"Good work, Freed," Laxus grunted.

"Thank you, Laxus-sama~" Freed said with a blush.

"How long do you think it will take for them to get drunk?" Lisanna asked Erza. The redhead shrugged before turning to the brunette that sat beside her. "Cana? I'm sure you would know."

Cana hiccuped. "Yep~ Natsu can't hold his alcohol at all. He's down after half a drink! But Gray... It might take two or three for him."

"It shouldn't be a problem," Gajeel grumbled. "Ice cube drinks a lot."

"Yes," Erza agreed. "He needs water for his ice, I believe."

"Well, I guess we just have to wait, then," Lucy said, leaning back in her seat and opening up a book.

* * *

About two hours later, Gray got up from the bar, hiccuping and swaying, his face slightly pink. Natsu wasn't far behind him, and he threw an arm around Gray and leaned heavily on him. "Grrraaaaaaay!"

"Wha~at?" Gray hiccuped, tilting slightly under the added weight of the Dragon Slayer.

"I want..."

The girls leaned forward intently, Levy clutching onto Lucy tightly and Mira practically strangling Lisanna.

"... a cupcake!" Natsu finished happily. All the girls fell backwards, their faces white with shock and disappointment. Mira and Levy started growing mushrooms gloomily in the corner, and Lucy, Laxus, Gajeel, Erza, and Lisanna all turned away, annoyed.

"I don't have any cupcakes!" Gray yelled, trying in vain to shake Natsu off as they stumbled around the guild hall, knocking over tables and chairs, and crashing into pillars and people alike. Soon a large brawl had started, and Lucy, Lisanna, and Levy squealed and ducked behind a table to avoid the flying objects and people while Laxus, Freed, Erza, Cana, Mira, and Gajeel all got sucked into the fight.

* * *

About three hours later, the brawl had ended, and a very hungover Gray woke up being crushed by Natsu in a bathroom with no recollection of how he'd gotten there. The Dragon Slayer was snoring, lying slant-ways across Gray's chest, his scarf tickling the Ice Mage's neck. On one end of the room, a passed out Romeo was crushed under his dad, his soul slipping from his lips, and Happy was asleep curled up in the bathtub gnawing on a fish. Beside him was Wendy, curled up with Carla, hugging a stuffed rabbit.

"What... the hell... happened?" Gray groaned, closing his eyes.

"Cupcake..." Natsu murmured, and he rolled onto his stomach, strangling Gray in a tight hug.

"Nat-su," Gray choked out, waving his arms and trying to get the Dragon Slayer off him before he passed out from lack of oxygen.

"Cupcake," Natsu said again, more decisively this time, and bit Gray hard in the shoulder.

"OOOWWWWWWWWWWW!" Gray wailed, punching Natsu hard in the face, sending him flying into the bathroom wall.

* * *

"Nē, Levy-chan, I wonder where Natsu and Gray went?" Lucy asked back at the guild hall, looking around with her brows furrowed.

Levy shrugged, not looking up from her book. "I dunno, Lu-chan. Macao and Romeo are missing too, and so are Happy, Carla, and Wendy."

"How odd..." Erza said, frowning through a bite of strawberry cake.

"Well, nevertheless, getting them drunk didn't work, apparently," Lisanna sighed out. "What should we do now?"

Cana grinned. "I think I have an idea..."

* * *

 **A/N:** A big thank you to CloudKitty for the "Getting them drunk" suggestion! As before, everyone, please feel free to leave suggestions for what you want to see in upcoming chapters!


	4. A Crappy Hypnotist

**~ 4 ~**

 **A Crappy Hypnotist**

* * *

"Okay, this one's _gotta_ work," Lisanna stressed, watching as Cana set up a small booth. A carnival had come to Magnolia for the weekend, and Cana, who had spotted it, had suggested they try hypnotism. She apparently had a friend who worked as a hypnotist in aforementioned carnival, and she promised them that he was fantastic at what he did.

"Well, after our previous attempts, I'm not getting my hopes up..." Lucy grumbled, crossing her arms. "It's like they don't _want_ to fall in love."

Levy hugged her friend. "Don't worry, Lu-chan! I get a feeling this will definitely work!"

* * *

"Nē, min'na," Levy said at the guild hall later that day, "we should all go to the carnival!"

"Ooh, a carnival?" Wendy asked excitedly, her eyes shining. "I've never been to one before!"

"There's a carnival in town?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A carnival?!" Natsu hotted, grinning. "That means _food_!"

Lucy, Levy, Lisanna, and Gray sweat-dropped. "Er, hai," Lucy said. "So, is everyone on board?"

"Hells yes!" Natsu yelled, already heading towards the door.

Gray let out a long sigh. "Sure. I guess."

"Definitely!" Wendy shouted, and that was the deciding vote. The whole guild packed up, and headed out for the carnival.

When they arrived, the guild split off into different groups. Wendy, Romeo, Carla (and therefor Happy), and Kinana went to get ice cream, Laxus and the rest Thunder Legion, accompanied by Elfman, went to look at the game stalls, and Macao, Wakaba, and a lot of the older members headed to the drinking games. Lucy, Erza, Lisanna, Levy, Mira, and Cana stuck with Natsu and Gray, and tried to direct them over to the hypnotists stall.

However, Natsu was dead set on having some food before doing anything else, and there was nothing they could do to stop him. Lucy sighed as he ran ahead, followed by Gray. "Well, we may as well do something fun while he eats. We can come back and try again later."

"Agreed," Erza said, and they split off to go have fun. Erza and Mira went to look at clothing booths, while Cana ducked off to the bar, Levy went to look at the book stalls, and Lisanna and Lucy went on rides. They met in front of the Ferris Wheel about an hour later, and agreed that it was time to find Gray and Natsu.

They found Natsu stalking the food booths, and Gray drinking a smoothie at a nearby cafe. "Gray, Natsu, come play some games with us!" Lucy said, tugging on their arms.

"No way," Gray said, sipping his drink. "Carnival games are all rigged."

"Gray," Erza said darkly, spawning her sword. "Get up."

"A-aye," Gray said quickly, and they headed for the games.

When they neared the hypnotist's booth, Lucy feigned interest and pointed towards it. "Ooh, let's go there! I've always wanted to see a hypnotist at work!"

They headed over to it and ducked past a curtain into the enclosed space. "Natsu, Gray, you should do it!" Lisanna suggested innocently.

"Sure!" Natsu said with a grin, sitting in one of the chairs in front of the hypnotist's table. Gray, though, shook his head. "No. No way."

"What, you chicken?" Natsu asked with a smirk. Gray glared at him and sat down heavily in the chair. "No! Let's do it."

Levy stifled a squeal as the hypnotist cleared his throat and got up, circling around the table to stand between Natsu and Gray. "Listen closely to the sound of my voice. Feel your shoulders relaxing and your eyelids drooping. You are very sleepy, and when I snap my fingers, you will fall into a deep, deep sleep, where I can suggest anything to you and you will believe it."

To the girls' wonder, Natsu and Gray's shoulders had slackened, their blinks becoming slow. When the hypnotist snapped his fingers, their eyes closed and their heads fell to rest against their chests. Lucy squeaked and gripped Erza's arm tightly, watching intently.

"Any suggestions?" the hypnotist asked, looking over at them.

"Tell them to realize that they're deeply in love!" Levy said quickly, her eyes sparkling.

The hypnotist shrugged and turned back to the boys. "Now, you both have been hiding your feelings for a very long time, but they're there, simmering, deep down inside. When I snap my fingers, you will wake and realize that you are deeply in love with each other."

The hypnotist snapped, and Gray and Natsu's heads jerked up. Gray blinked slowly, looking confused, Natsu mirroring him. After a while of nothing happening, Gray scratched his eyebrow. "Um, is something supposed to be happening...?"

The girls collapsed backwards, crestfallen.

When they were walking away from the hypnotist booth, everyone sulking, Lucy said glumly, "I can't believe it didn't work..."

"Well, I heard that hypnotism doesn't work on everyone," Lisanna offered, sounding equally as glum.

"No," Levy said, shaking her head. "There's only one explanation!"

"What?" Lucy asked, looking over at her.

"We just got a crappy hypnotist!"

* * *

Gray crossed his arms, walking away from the hypnotist booth, Natsu running ahead happily. He'd only said he didn't want to be hypnotized because he knew it wouldn't work. Lyon had tried it on him once when they were kids, and it just hadn't worked. He supposed he was one of those people that just couldn't be hypnotized. And he guessed that Natsu hadn't been susceptible to it because he was such a deep sleeper.

He doubted a dragon roaring could wake that boy from a nap.

Gray sighed. _I still wonder what he told us to do, though..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks to YaoiFangirl666 for the hypnotism idea! As always, feel free to leave suggestions for what you want to see in future chapters!


	5. A Berry Big Fail

**~ 5 ~**

 **A Berry Big Fail**

* * *

"Gray," Lucy greeted with a wide smile, coming to a stop beside the Ice Mage.

Gray quirked an eyebrow at her. "Lucy. You seem weirdly... _cheerful_ today..."

"What? Don't be silly."

"Well, what did you want, then?" Gray asked, turning back to the job request board, which he had been scrutinizing for the past five minutes.

"Oh, nothing. I just noticed you were looking for a job, so... I picked one out for you!" Gray looked at her curiously, and she handed him the job request flyer with a weirdly wide grin.

"Picking... strawberries? At _sunset_?" Gray asked incredulously, after he had read through the flyer.

"Mm-hmm," Lucy hummed happily, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking back on her heels. "I know it's not really your kind of thing, but it pays very well, so I figured you might be interested."

Gray glanced back down at the flyer, and his eyes widened when he saw the amount of Jewels being payed for the job. "They're paying thirty- _thousand_ Jewels for _picking berries_?!"

Lucy nodded happily. "Yep! So, what do you say?"

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Gray and Natsu were on a train headed for Oshibana, which was the origin of the job request.

"Why'd you come with me, anyway?" Gray grumbled, glancing over at Natsu, who sat beside him.

"I—" Natsu held a hand over his mouth. "Urgh... I like strawberries."

Gray rolled his eyes. "You're still not over that motion sickness of your, flame brain?"

"Shut... up," Natsu muttered, before promptly passing out. His head landed in Gray's lap, and the Ice Mage sighed, too tired to push him off. He felt a spark of sympathy, as well, which was weird, and frankly unlike him. He shook it off and turned his attention to the passing countryside, allowing the gentle sway of the train to calm him.

* * *

"How'd you mange to get such a romantic job, anyway?" Lucy asked Levy on the train following the boys.

Levy smiled and winked. "Oh, just a few requests, a few favors called in. Nothing big."

Lisanna gulped. "Remind me to never get on _her_ bad side..."

"When we will arrive?" Erza broke in, her eyes shining. "I desire fresh-picked strawberries."

Lucy sweat-dropped. "Erza, we can't pick berries until after they leave, ya know... Are you sure you can hold yourself back that long?"

Erza nodded. "I'm positive."

* * *

When they arrived at the strawberry field, the girls quickly hid behind some bushed at the top of the hill and watched Natsu and Gray gather baskets and walk over to the strawberry plants. "Gray?" Natsu asked, glancing over at the Ice Mage. Levy and Lucy stifled squeals and clutched each other's arms.

"Hmm?" Gray asked, meeting his gaze.

Natsu's face broke into a grin. "I bet I can pick more berries than you."

The girls all fell back in defeat as Gray grinned back. "Oh, it's on, flame brain."

They took off sprinting through the field, toting baskets along with them.

* * *

An hour later the boys had boarded the trains with six baskets of berries between them, and the girls were shedding tears of defeat back in the strawberry fields. "I should've know this would happen," Lucy said with a sigh. "Everything those two _do_ turns into a competition."

Erza nodded in agreement, but her eyes were focused on the berry fields. Lucy sighed. "Erza, do you want to pick strawberries now?"

The redhead nodded, already standing. "Yes."

The other girls shared looks and shrugged. "We might as well get something out of this. I could go for some strawberries," Lucy said.

Levy, Mira, and Lisanna nodded in agreement, and the girls stood and started after Erza towards the rows of strawberry plants.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the train, Gray and Natsu were arguing about who had picked the most berries. "It was clearly me," Gray said, crossing his arms. "My baskets are more full."

Natsu shook his head stubbornly. "So! I just picked smaller berries!"

Gray rolled his eyes and snorted. " _Suuurrreeee_."

Huffing, Natsu sat back and glared at Gray. The Ice Mage rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's just call it a tie."

Natsu grinned happily. "Sounds good to me! But..." He frowned. "Who should we give these berries to?"

Gray shrugged. "Let's give a few baskets to Erza, and a few to Lucy?"

"Sure," Natsu said with a smile. "Although, we should keep at least one or two."

"Two," Gray said decisively. "I think I might make some strawberry shortcake."

* * *

"Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries!" Erza hummed happily, smiling as she hugged her strawberry baskets to her chest.

Lucy sighed, still slightly melancholy after their defeat. "What do we do now?"

"Well," Lisanna said with a grin, "we _could_ go on a mission. All of us. And _maybe_ there would only be two rooms available, if you catch my drift."

Mira smirked. "Oh, I catch it, all right. And I think we can _definitely_ arrange something..."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks to both CrazyBlueOwl (for the picking strawberries at sunset suggestion), and Werewingwolfxx (for the motion sickness suggestion)! As always, feel free to leave suggestions down in the review section for what you want to see in the upcoming chapters! (Also, sorry if this chapter was a bit short.)


	6. No Room

**A/N:** I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO WRITING THIS! I'm so happy I finally get to post this, because I know a lot of you guys have been begging for me to continue this story. I definitely plan to get back on track with this story, so no worries! Anyway, enjoy the chapter, lovelies~ ^-^

* * *

 **~ 6 ~**

 **No Room**

* * *

It was bright, sunny Friday afternoon, and the members of Team Gratsu were all gathered around a secluded back table, getting ready to put their newest plan into action. They'd already planned out everything to the last, tiniest, insignificant detail, and they were confident that their plan would work this time.

"Alright, Lisanna," Lucy said, turning her eyes to her white-haired friend, "you took the lead on this. Is everything all set up?"

The Take-Over mage nodded. "Yep. Mira and I set up the "mission" flyer and had a little chat with the innkeeper about the rooms. It should all be ready. All we have to do it make sure they agree to the mission."

"I can handle that easily enough," Erza said with a confident smile. "Have we decided who is going on this mission?"

Levy nodded sagely. "Yeah, Mira and I talked about it. We need to keep it small since you'd all have to be in one room, so we decided that only three of us can go. I think the best choice would be Lucy, Erza, and Lisanna. Are you guys okay with going?"

All three girls nodded happily, and Levy nodded back in response. "Good. Now, Erza, it's all up to you. Good luck."

* * *

"Gray! Natsu!"

The boys in question jumped and traded a terrified look, shivers racing up their spines at the voice of their redheaded team-mate. " _Why is she mad?!_ " Gray hissed quietly, blue eyes full of horror. He turned to glare at Natsu suspiciously. "What did you do this time?!"

Natsu glowered at him. "Hey, I didn't do anything, ice cube! What did _you_ do?!"

Before the ice mage could respond, Erza's hands dropped onto both of their shoulders, nearly knocking them off their chairs. "Gray, Natsu!" the redhead said with a small, relaxed smile. "Nice day, is it not?"

"Y-yeah," Natsu stuttered, gulping, still afraid she was going to murder him. "U-um, are you okay E-Erza? You're not m-m-mad, are you?"

The Requip mage laughed heartily and clapped the Dragon Slayer on the shoulder, sending him toppling backward with a groan. "No, I'm not mad. Do I have to be mad to talk to my comrades?" Gray, who had been staring at Natsu's toppled form with wide eyes, turned to stare back at Erza, sweat-dropping. "Uhhhh... n-no?"

Erza smiled. "Good. Anyway, I just wanted to ask you two if you wished to accompany Lucy, Lisanna, and myself on a mission tomorrow. What do you say?"

Gray quickly nodded, too scared to disagree with the terrifying redhead. "Y-yes, of course!"

"Fantastic!" She clapped Gray on the shoulder, and he quickly joined Natsu on the ground, groaning. "See you both at the train station tomorrow at one o'clock sharp!" With that, the mage turned on her heel, humming under her breath, and walked off, leaving her two comrades twitching in pain on the floor.

* * *

 **The Next Day...**

* * *

"They should be here already," Lucy grumbled, checking the time for what felt like the thirtieth time. " It's nearly one thirty. Are you sure you told them the correct time to meet us, Erza?"

The redhead nodded from where she was standing beside the blonde, arms crossed. "Yes, Lucy, I'm positive. I said one o'clock sharp." Her gaze turned dark and murderous, and she raised an armored fist with a glower. "They better not have ignored my invitation!"

"Calm down, Erza," Lucy said nervously, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Oh, look, here they come! Everyone stay calm and act natural!"

The girls all spread out and pretended to talk with each other until Gray and Natsu were standing in front of them. "Oh, hey guys," Lucy said with an innocent smile and wave. "Ready to go?"

"Sure, I guess," Gray grumbled, crossing his arms. At the same time, Natsu said happily, "Sure! Let's go!"

"Great!" Erza said, ignoring Gray's unenthusiastic response and turning to the train. They boarded it with their bags and quickly found seats, and a few minutes later, they were on their way.

* * *

 **Later...**

* * *

"Ah, hurry up! It's _pouring_!" Lucy yelled, holding her suitcase above her head as she sprinted down the sidewalk towards the inn. It had started raining halfway through their train ride, and by the time they got to Oshibana, where the "mission" was, it was practically a tsunami. They definitely hadn't planned on this terrible weather.

But there was little to be done about it, so the group of five continued running until they finally reached the inn. They practically threw themselves inside, pausing to catch their breath as water dripped off of them in thick rivulets. Thunder boomed, shaking the very air around them, and lightning arced across the sky in bright flashes of white.

"Let's... check in..." Gray panted, still breathless from running across town to get to the inn. "I wanna... get under a blanket... as soon as possible."

"I'll check us in," Lisanna said quickly, turning and jogging over to the counter before anyone could protest. After a few minutes of whispering with the innkeeper, she was back, wearing a pseudo-distressed expression. "I've got some bad news, guys. There are only two rooms, and they only have one bed in each."

"Dammit," Gray swore, scowling. "I _don't_ wanna go out in the rain and find another inn."

"Even if you wanted to, this is the only inn which isn't booked full for the night," Lisanna said with a helpless shrug. "We _have_ to stay here. But the innkeeper said she'd give us a discount for the rooms since they're not ideal." She shot a pointed look at Lucy, and the blonde jumped a little and quickly said, "Well, we should _definitely_ take them, then. Don't you guys think so?"

She looked over at Gray and Natsu, who were standing by the door, still dripping wet from the rain. Natsu shrugged with a neutral expression. "If it's our only option, I guess we gotta." Everyone looked to Gray. The ice mage rolled his eyes with an irritated sigh. "Yeah, I guess so. Tell her we'll take 'em."

Lisanna nodded, trying not to look too happy, and quickly turned back to the desk. She returned with two silver room keys and started down the hallway. "The rooms are across the hall from each other," she said when they reached them. "Us girls will go in this one, and you guys take that one." She handed them a key and pointed to the door across the hall.

Gray took it and unlocked the door, grumbling, and as soon as they were inside, the door closed. The girls quickly went into their own room, which actually had two beds (Lisanna had told a _tiny_ lie), and gathered to talk. "Do you think it will work?" Lucy asked anxiously. She didn't want another of their plans to fail.

Lisanna nodded confidently. "Definitely. I mean, there's no couch or anything, so they've gotta share the bed. I don't think either of them is rude enough to make the other sleep on the floor. That's just _too_ cruel."

* * *

Gray and Natsu stood in their room, surveying it silently. "Well, they weren't kidding about the one bed," Gray grumbled, crossing his arms. "There's not even a couch. What kinda inn is this?"

Natsu nodded. "Yeah..." He shrugged. "Well, I guess one of us has to sleep on the floor."

They turned to stare at each other. "The bed's mine!" they both yelled at the same time. They growled and went head-to-head. "I said it first!" they yelled at the same time. "No, I did!" Gray gave Natsu a rough shove. "Stop copying me, flame brain!"

" _You_ were copying _me_ , ice block!" Natsu retorted angrily. "And _I_ get the bed!"

"In your dreams!" Gray yelled, and made a leap for the bed. Natsu, seeing what he was trying to do, gave a loud yell and launched himself forward at the same time. They landed on top of each other and began wrestling around furiously, fighting over who would get to stay.

Since they were evenly matched, they eventually collapsed beside each other, gasping for air and utterly exhausted. "I'm too tired to fight you," Gray panted after a moment. Pushing himself to a sitting position, he grabbed a pillow and flopped down on the floor. "But don't think I'm giving up or anything! I'm just tired."

Natsu didn't answer, and when Gray looked back over, he found the Dragon Slayer already fast asleep, spreadeagled on the bed with his mouth open. Rolling his eyes, he threw the blanket over his team-mate and flopped down on the floor to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, the girls waited anxiously downstairs for the boys, chattering excitedly among themselves. "I bet it worked," Lucy said with a wide smile. "It _must_ have worked! Did you hear all the noise they were making last night?" She fanned her reddening face. "It _had_ to have worked."

Before either of her friends could respond, Gray and Natsu came walking down the hall, muttering back and forth. Gray was craning his neck from side to side with a sour expression. "Geez, my neck feels like it was stepped on. You owe me for letting you have the bed, stupid."

"I don't owe you anything," Natsu scoffed. "You're the one that gave it up. And don't call me stupid!"

As they walked past the girls, Lucy turned to look at Lisanna and Erza, looking crestfallen. "It didn't work..." she said miserably. Erza and Lisanna rested their hands on her shoulders as they saw the blonde's eyes grow watery. "Don't worry, Lucy," Erza said gently. "We can try something else."

"Yeah," Lisanna said with a comforting smile. "Besides..." She grinned with a devilish look in her eyes. "I think I already have another idea."

* * *

 **A/N:** Big thanks to Severine Luna for the "one bed on a mission" idea! This chapter was longer than the others, and I'll probably be making them this length or longer from now on. Let me know how you guys feel about the length. As always, feel free to leave suggestions for what you'd like to see in future chapters, and remember to follow and favorite to support the story :)


End file.
